Jenna Ortega Expresses Interest in Joining the Iconic Gremlins Franchise

On Wednesday, Beetlejuice 2 star Jenna Ortega shared her affection for another beloved genre series: Gremlins.

“You know what I used to adore as a child? Gremlins,” Ortega expressed to IMDb while walking the SXSW red carpet for the launch of her new film, Death of a Unicorn. “I would be thrilled about… Gremlins 3? 4? Just give me a call.”

The original Gremlins movie premiered in 1984 and tells the story of Billy (Zach Galligan), who acquires Gizmo the mogwai as a pet, but one that comes with very strict regulations. When Billy and his friends inadvertently violate these rules, Gizmo produces numerous others of his species, leading the gremlins to rampage through Billy’s hometown on Christmas Eve.

A sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, was released in 1990, and a prequel TV series debuted on Max in 2023. There have been rumors about a third installment in January 2025, but Warner Bros. has not yet confirmed a new film. Well, they now know who to reach out to if they decide to proceed.

Last year, Ortega featured in the sequel to another beloved ’80s horror-comedy classic, Beetlejuice. She portrayed Astrid, the daughter of Winona Ryder’s character Lydia Deetz.

In her latest film, Death of a Unicorn, she plays Ridley, a teenage girl who accompanies her father Elliot (played by Paul Rudd) to a corporate retreat with his pharmaceutical CEO boss. Along the way, their vehicle accidentally strikes and kills a unicorn foal. When Elliot’s boss demands to conduct tests on the unicorn, the foal’s parents retaliate with a deadly mission of vengeance. The cast also features Richard E. Grant, Will Poulter, and Anthony Carrigan.

Death of a Unicorn is set to be released in